Can You Store a Car in a Storage Unit? Yes - Here Is the Size It Needs and What It Costs
Published
Quick answer: yes. A car fits inside a 20ft shipping container, which is 5.90m long, 2.35m wide and 2.39m high inside with a 2.28m-high, 2.34m-wide door opening. That covers nearly every sedan, SUV, ute and van on Australian roads. At Storage Land in Brisbane you can store a car two ways: inside your own 20ft container for $349 a month, or on an open-air bay for $275 a month. Most people choose the bay. Here is how to decide, and how to put a car away properly.
What size storage unit do you need for a car?
| Vehicle | Typical size (L x W, mirrors folded) | Fits a 20ft container (5.90 x 2.35m inside)? |
|---|---|---|
| Small hatch | 4.0-4.4m x 1.8m | Yes, easily |
| Mid-size sedan or SUV | 4.6-4.9m x 1.9m | Yes |
| Large sedan, large SUV | 5.0-5.2m x 2.0m | Yes |
| Dual-cab ute (standard tray) | 5.3-5.4m x 1.9m | Yes, with about 500mm to spare lengthways |
| Ute with bullbar and towbar, or a van over 5.9m | 5.9m+ | No - take an open-air bay |
| Classic or project car on a trailer | Trailer length counts | Usually no - open-air bay, or unload the trailer |
Width is rarely the problem: 2.35m inside and a 2.34m door opening leave about 150mm each side of a 2.0m car with the mirrors folded. The real limits are the door height of 2.28m (roof racks and lifted 4WDs, check) and length if there is a bullbar or towbar. Full container figures are in the 20ft container dimensions guide.
Container or open-air bay? The honest comparison
| Inside a 20ft container | Open-air bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Price at Storage Land | $349 a month | $275 a month |
| Weather and sun | Fully enclosed steel, out of sun and rain | Outdoors - use a breathable car cover |
| Security | Your own padlock plus the gated yard and CCTV | Gated yard, CCTV, 24/7 PIN gate |
| Getting it in and out | Drive in and reverse out; you need a pair of ramps for the container sill and a careful driver | Drive on, drive off |
| Spare room | Everything left around the car: tyres, tools, boxes | The bay is 6m long and for the vehicle only |
| Best for | Classic, sports or sentimental cars, long stays, cars with gear to store alongside | Daily drivers, work vehicles, anything over 5.9m, most people |
If the car is worth protecting from sun and dust and you want it locked in your own steel box, the container is the right answer and it is still cheaper than most indoor car storage. If you just need the car off the street for a few months, the bay is the practical choice.
How to drive a car into a shipping container
- The container floor sits above ground level on its corner castings, so you need two ramps rated for the car's weight. Position them square to the sill.
- Fold the mirrors in. Have someone guide you in; there is about 150mm each side.
- Go in forwards and reverse out, or reverse in if you prefer to drive out. Either way, leave enough room at the back of the container to open the driver's door, which means parking as close to one side as you can and stepping out of the driver's side only.
- Chock the wheels. Do not rely on the handbrake alone for months.
- Tell us before you book if you plan to drive a car in. We will point you to a container with the room to line up straight.
Preparing a car for storage
- Fuel: leave the tank about a quarter full, not full and not empty, and consider a fuel stabiliser for stays over three months. Never store jerry cans, spare fuel or gas bottles in the container. See prohibited items.
- Battery: disconnect the negative terminal or remove the battery. There is no power to containers or bays, so a trickle charger is not an option on site.
- Tyres: inflate to the top of the recommended range. For long stays, roll the car a metre every month or two.
- Fluids: fresh oil before a long stay, and top up coolant and brake fluid.
- Clean it: inside and out, with nothing edible left in the cabin. Pests find food, not cars.
- Cover: a breathable cover inside the container keeps dust off; a waterproof cover outdoors traps moisture, so use a breathable one there too.
- Paperwork: keep the car registered or put it on a registration suspension if your state allows it, and tell your insurer where the car is being kept.
Motorbikes, small boats and other vehicles
A motorbike in a container is the easy case: it fits with a household's worth of room to spare. See motorbike storage. Boats, caravans, trailers, campers and trucks go on open-air bays - see car and vehicle storage Brisbane for the bay product and the 6m length guide.
Car storage FAQs
Can you store a car in a self storage unit?
In a 20ft shipping container, yes, with ramps to get it in. Indoor self storage units are often too small or on upper floors; a drive-up container is the storage unit that actually takes a car.
How much is a storage unit for a car?
At Storage Land, $349 a month for a 20ft container or $275 a month for an open-air bay, both including GST, month to month, no bond, no admin fee.
What size storage unit do I need for a car?
At least 5.5m x 2.3m with a door over 2.2m high for a normal car. A 20ft container is 5.90m x 2.35m inside with a 2.28m door, so it is the standard answer.
Can I keep fuel in the car?
Yes, about a quarter tank in the vehicle's own tank. No separate fuel containers in storage.
Can I leave the car in storage for a year?
Yes. Prepare it as above, roll it occasionally if you can, and keep the registration and insurance decisions deliberate rather than letting them lapse.
Need the car off the street? Open-air bays $275 a month, or your own 20ft container $349 a month.
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